Election results were officially certified on Monday.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Voter turnout in Iowa was lower in 2024 than it was four years ago, according to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office.
Election results, which were certified by the State Canvass Board on Monday, show 1,674,011 Iowans voted in the 2024 general election. That’s down from 2020, when 1,700,130 people voted in the presidential election.
In addition, fewer people voted absentee in the 2024 election than they did in 2020. 681,899 people voted absentee this year, about 40.7% of total voters.
In contrast, more than one million Iowans voted absentee in 2020, a whopping 58.91% of all voters. However, high rates of absentee voting in 2020 can likely be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which led many Iowans to stay home rather than vote in-person.
While overall voter turnout was lower in 2024 than it was in 2020, almost all active voters participated. In Iowa, active voters are defined as people who voted in the most recent general election.
98.56% of active voters in Iowa, defined as those who voted in the 2022 general election, also voted in the 2024 general election.
2024 voter turnout did far exceed that of the 2022 midterm election, but that’s to be expected: Midterm elections historically see lower voter turnout.
Read on below for more data from the 2024 presidential election and other recent elections:
2024 presidential election
- Total voters: 1,674,011
- Active voter turnout: 98.56%
- Total voter turnout: 74.17%
- Total voters: 1,230,416
- Active voter turnout: 65.43%
- Total voter turnout: 55.06%
2020 presidential election
- Total voters: 1,700,130
- Active voter turnout: 81.16%
- Total voter turnout: 75.77%
- Total voters: 1,334,279
- Active voter turnout: 66.33%
- Total voter turnout: 61.55%
2016 presidential election
- Total voters: 1,581,371
- Active voter turnout: 79.05%
- Total voter turnout: 72.77%
- Total voters: 1,142,311
- Active voter turnout: 58.95%
- Total voter turnout: 53.31%
2012 presidential election
- Total voters: 1,589,951
- Active voter turnout: 81.12%
- Total voter turnout: 73.28%
